Is overclocking required? There was a time when asking this question was a waste of time because each and every component of the computer used to function far below its original capacity. Today, that is no longer the case.
People used to opt for overclocking in the past to extract more by paying less. This was because there was a huge gap between an ordinary processor and an expensive and better performing processor as far as cost was concerned. Today, you can get a better performing processor by spending just $50 to $100 extra. In such a scenario, taking the risk of overclocking does not make sense at all.
You may still want to overclock your computer as a hobby or just because you can do it. Well, to do it as a hobby and as a task in itself without any practical benefit or consequences is perfectly acceptable.
However, to think that you are improving the performance of your computer and helping your OS load faster by overclocking may not always work. The Windows operating system relies more on hard disk space than the processor speed. Further, people go in for overclocking to enjoy a better performance in the game. Well, you could do well to overclock your GPU instead of your CPU.
Going in for a more expensive and better quality graphics card is a much better option as far as improving game performance is concerned. Hence, before you start the task of overclocking your hardware in your computer, you should check whether it is going to lead to practical and real benefits.
If not, then such a move is no different than any other hobby or art that is done for the sake of it and not for any practical benefits. Considering the fact that overclocking has its share of risks, doing it just as a hobby, does not make sense.